In firearms, a recoil (or kickback) force is the change in backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. Without a system or mechanism for reducing the recoil upon firing, the backward momentum of the gun is substantially equivalent to the forward momentum of the projectile(s) and exhaust gases. This backward momentum is transferred to the ground through the body of the shooter. In the case of long guns, this backward momentum is typically transferred to the shooter via the gun stock. Since recoil forces can be substantial, a shooter may experience discomfort or pain when firing, for example, powerful guns such as high caliber rifles, shotguns, or the like.
Previously, gun manufacturers have attempted to mitigate the discomfort or pain caused by the recoil forces by adding a recoil pad to the butt end of the gun stock. The recoil pad often includes a contoured profile that matches the curve of the shooter's shoulder to re-distribute the recoil forces over a greater surface area. The recoil pad is also generally made of a resilient material that serves to reduce and extend the recoil forces, and which cushions the impact to the shooter. In general, the thicker the recoil pad or the softer the material used to form the recoil pad, the greater the reduction in peak energy and the more comfort provided to the shooter.
There are practical limits to the thickness and softness of the recoil pads, however. For instance, recoil pads mounted to the butt end of a gun stock will begin to buckle to one side or to bow asymmetrically during firing if the thickness of the recoil pad is too great or if the stiffness of the material forming the recoil pad is too low (e.g. the pad is too soft). This bucking or bowing may allow the butt end of the gun stock to shift laterally at the moment of firing. Thus, previous gun stock designs have necessarily been limited in their ability to provide gun stock designs which absorb and reduce the recoil forces so as to avoid the undesirable deformation of the recoil pads.
The present disclosure seeks to address the problems presented in the prior art by providing a recoil reducing apparatus, a gun stock incorporating the recoil reducing apparatus, and a method for reducing the recoil forces transmitted to the shooter through a gun stock without affecting the lateral stability of the firearm.